Tension Headache
by Tonks4life
Summary: Samantha has a tension headache, and only one person can take that away. Takes place between Jacob's death and the fishing scene in Threads.


**Author's Note: **I this hasn't really been edited, and so if it's horrible I'm sorry. I also don't know what to rate it so K+ will have to do. This takes place in between Threads and the fishing scene at the end.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Stargate, Samantha Carter, Jack O'Neill or any of the characters and places mentioned in the fic.

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Sam sat down heavily at her workstation in the SGC with a bowl of blue Jello. It'd been another long day of looking down her nose at a microscope. She could feel a tension headache coming on from the strain on her neck and eyes. It was to the point where she couldn't even put into words what she would give for a good shoulder rub right now. If she sat back and closed her eyes she could almost picture strong, warm, and calloused hands on her shoulders, perfectly working out every kink. She knew whose hands she was imagining. It was the same every time, but it had never actually happened.

Years of working with General O'Neill had allowed her to make countless observations about him. That was what happened when you had the brain of a scientist. You overanalyzed everything. Every touch turned into a bone structure analysis, every small social interaction turned into something so much more. Hundreds of missions meant hundreds of shoulder grasps, 'atta-girl' pats on the back, and 'whoa there Carter' shoulder grabs. By now she knew exactly how it would feel if her current hope ever became reality.

Sam had been too lost in her fantasies to notice the boot-steps entering her office. Later she realized that she must have looked so strange with her head tilted back, her eyes closed and a spoon falling out of her hand. But for now she was enjoying her imaginary massage as General O'Neill entered and sat in a wheely chair opposite her.

Jack picked up the Jello and rescued the spoon in Sam's hand. He watched as Sam sat up quickly and shot a look of contempt in the direction of her spoon. It took a minute for the look of recognition to appear on her face. But when it did, it seemed like she still didn't know what to say so she continued to frown in Jack's direction. Jack smiled his mischievous puppy-dog smile and held the blue Jello up to his nose.

"I don't understand how you can eat this stuff. It smells awful." He said frowning at it.

Sam was surprised to find that it was General O'Neill in her office, she had expected Daniel. But she shook herself out of her original shock when she saw his mischievous grin. The return of his charm made her smile to herself before answering. "I don't know, Sir. It just tastes good to me. Why don't you try it?"

"No, no. It's yours, and don't call me 'Sir' Carter. I signed away my position." Jack said waving her spoon around before handing both the spoon and the bowl back to her.

Sam took them with trembling hands. She didn't know what to say, or what to think. She couldn't form sentences in her brain right now and her headache had doubled in intensity. She must have grimaced from the pain because O'Neill sat forward looking concerned. Sam started to shake her head but felt a muscle in her neck twinge. She put her spoon in her bowl and moved her hand to her neck. She had to get rid of this headache before she could even begin to discuss what General O'Neill had just said.

Jack relaxed as he realized it was just a headache that made her grimace. After all, he had chosen to step down primarily for her, for_ them_. He wheeled his chair over to hers and spun her around so that her back was facing him. Sam was startled by the sudden change in position but stayed still. Jack gently took the Jello from her hand and set it on the table before wheeling backwards toward the door and closing it. Despite him not being in command of the base anymore he didn't want people getting the wrong idea as they walked by. He went back to Sam and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

She wouldn't focus on his face, she looked every where but his face as Jack slowly rubbed out every knot and dissolved all of her pain. She understood why he closed the door, it would be strange if someone saw this. Even if he had just given up his post. After most of her pain had subsided Sam's brain started functioning again. At first it was just thoughts about how wrong this was. All of those years hiding their feelings just thrown out the window with this one encounter. Even when O'Neill had comforted her after her father's death it hadn't felt like they'd crossed the line. But this was too much. With that last thought she finally registered exactly what O'Neill had said, exactly what it meant. That spawned hundreds of questions but they all came down to one thing.

"Why?" she asked, finally looking into his deep brown eyes. Jack's hands stopped moving over her shoulders and there was an expression on his face that she couldn't read.

Jack gently set her head back in its original position and turned her around with a sigh. A piece of her hair had fallen into her face and Jack brushed it behind her ear, leaving his hand on her cheek. He had no idea how to answer her. 'Why' was the worst question she could have ever asked him. Jack had never been good at answering 'why'. There was only one way he could think of answering her, but he wasn't sure if it was the right time or not. It had only been a little over two weeks since she had called it off with Pete, and since Jacob had died. Her emotions could still be confused and he didn't want to push her.

There was also the matter of their current situation. Jack was normally one to run with his impulses, but now he was second guessing everything. Now it was whether or not he should answer her question with a kiss, or if it was just the intimate moment clouding his judgement. Maybe he'd been spending _too much_ time with Sam. He was starting to think like her too.

Sam stayed quiet as General O'Neill sat in silence with his hand on her cheek. She could see his brain working as she watched his eyes. It was rare but when it did happen it was beautiful. Sam didn't want the moment to end, she wanted to dissolve into the warmth of his hand. But she knew that if she didn't press the issue now, she wouldn't ever get the answer.

"Jack?" she asked quietly, using his first name for the first time in a long time. She watched as he frowned slightly. She put her hand over his and stared into his eyes intensely. "Jack."

He faltered for a minute before leaning in towards Sam. He could hear her breath catch as his lips got dangerously close to hers. Just before closing the short distance between them he sent a silent hope to the universe that nothing interrupted them. No alien beaming technology, no intergalactic crisis, no _Daniel_, nothing, just them. When their lips finally met, Jack's mind flashed back to all of his fantasies, every time that he wanted to say more or _do_ more. This was so much better.

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**Optional Ending: **The blue jello jiggled furiously as it sat on the table watching as the couple kissed for what seemed like eternity. It had been forgotten, always forgotten.


End file.
